Kinley
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4

When it comes to princesses, Kinley is an expert. The four year old from Saint Elmo loves to twirl, sing, and dress like her favorite Disney princesses. Kinley’s liver condition doesn’t slow her down too much, but it does mean she lives with constant doctor visits and exams instead of being able to live as care-freely as other children her age. Kinley’s mom Hannah referred her to Make-A-Wish after hearing about the organization from other moms of wish children being treated at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

After meeting her wish granters, it was clear that Kinley’s wish was to meet the Princesses from her favorite books and movies. Make-A-Wish arranged for Kinley to do just that and sent her family to Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida. They had a great time exploring the parks, riding rides, and taking in the warm weather. Her trip peaked with a meet and greet with all of her favorite princesses where they played and colored together. She even got a lesson in how to twirl like royalty in her new princess dress provided by her Make-A-Wish volunteers. Her mother said Kinley still puts the dress on to practice at least once a day.

“This experience has shown [Kinley] that the world can be a good place where people care about her,” Hannah shared.

“Make-A-Wish gave us a time to just enjoy life together as a family without constantly thinking about the ‘what ifs’ and difficult times ahead,” Hannah continued. “The experience has helped us to see the bright side and have hope for the future. When Kinley does go through difficult times in the future, she will always be able to remember her Make-A-Wish experience and know that her dreams really can come true."